Irrigation systems are used e.g. by people suffering from spinal cord injuries, spina bifida or multiple sclerosis. For such users, irrigation may improve quality of life by preventing constipation, reducing time spent for bowel emptying procedures, reducing fecal incontinence, and by increasing independency in general.
Various irrigation systems are known in the art. A widely used system comprises a catheter configured and sized to be inserted into the patient's rectum where it is maintained in a fixed position by an inflatable balloon. The system comprises a manual pump, typically a balloon pump, which is in fluid communication with the balloon via a balloon conduit. The fluid flow in the balloon conduit can be controlled via a balloon valve. A delivery conduit is secured between a reservoir which contains a liquid, e.g. lavage liquid, and an inlet of the catheter. A manual pump, typically the aforementioned balloon pump, is in fluid communication via a reservoir conduit with the reservoir. By use of the pump, the user can pump regular air or gas into the reservoir and thereby displace the liquid out of the reservoir and into the delivery conduit and via the catheter into the patient. A reservoir valve is operable to control the fluid flow in the reservoir conduit, and a delivery valve is operable to control liquid flow in the delivery conduit.
Sometimes, the balloon is inflated by use of air, and sometimes the balloon is inflated by use of the liquid. If the same pump is used both for inflating the balloon and for displacing the liquid out of the reservoir, all three valves must be operated sequentially with a precise timing. In known systems, flow in the conduits is typically controlled by use of traditional valves such as cylinder valves or ball valves etc. Such valves are relatively expensive, they are relatively heavy, and they typically require much space.